France's Brexit approach contrasts sharply with Swedish expulsions

A series of high-profile expulsions of Britons from Sweden has highlighted the contrasting experience of Britons in France.

While official figures and cases reported in UK media show Sweden has taken a tough approach to Britons’ post-Brexit rights, The Connexion has heard of no comparable cases of Britons being forced to leave after many years of living in France.

This is likely due to several factors.

France – information and support 

Firstly, there was extensive information and support available to Britons in France, through French government guidance, outreach by the British Embassy in Paris, UK government-funded charities offering free help with residency cards, and grassroots support groups.

The Connexion also published many articles on the subject as well as a dedicated guide.

In addition, France made applications relatively simple, with a dedicated national website and only one prefecture visit required to submit fingerprints.

Paperwork was kept to a minimum, especially for people who had lived in France for five years or more. They needed only their British passport, a dated document showing they had been living in France more than five years earlier, and proof they were living in France before the end of 2020, such as a utility bill.

More recent arrivals were asked for additional documents, including evidence of income, work status and healthcare cover, but we received no reports at the time of prefectures being particularly strict over these.

The original application deadline was June 30, 2021, but the website remained open until October 3, with later applications possible in some cases where good reasons were given.

Holders of five-year cards are now renewing them, in most cases for 10-year permanent residency cards. Reports suggest the process is generally going smoothly, although procedures have been less standardised, despite the interior ministry encouraging prefectures to use a simple template system on the Démarche numérique portal.

Sweden – strict requirements and deadlines

In Sweden, reported problems have not concerned refusals to upgrade existing Brexit cards, but people initially refused status because of strict requirements or missed deadlines, sometimes by only a short period.

Cases include:

• A man married to a Swedish woman who missed the deadline by a week.

• A man with dementia who had lived in Sweden for 25 years, refused because he was deemed not to have supplied sufficient proof of his entitlement to residency rights.

• A woman with Alzheimer's whose family applied on her behalf, refused over missing evidence including a current British passport and financial documents.

• A woman who had lived in Sweden for 40 years, refused because of a period of unemployment.

Official figures also reflect Sweden's strict approach. It approved around 10,000 Brexit residence applications by 2024, but recorded almost 4,000 refusals, although this included around 1,000 applications that had been withdrawn or ruled invalid.

Several cases have emerged recently because Britons initially refused Brexit status were subsequently granted temporary permits under ordinary immigration law. These are now coming up for renewal, after Sweden tightened its residency requirements.

Helping residents in France

Christopher Chantrey, who chaired the British Community Committee of France (BCC) during Brexit, said he recently spoke to a Swedish journalist in Paris.

“He told me he was ashamed of his own country, because of the way bureaucrats in Sweden are treating Britons. France, by and large, has taken a helpful attitude.”

He confirmed that longer-term residents were not questioned about matters such as work or finances, and he knew of no cases where problems could not be resolved and a long-term resident was forced to leave.

“A British passport was one of the requirements, and I helped a lady aged about 90 who had not renewed hers, as she wasn’t planning to travel anywhere. I helped her get the passport,” he said.

He added that the BCC liaises with the British Embassy in cases of residency difficulties, including processing delays. He knew of one Briton whom the embassy successfully helped to complete a WA card application as late as 2024.

However, he said this year's renewal process has varied across France, possibly reflecting shortages of well-qualified staff, unfamiliarity with the rules on required documents and communication difficulties – particularly at local sub-prefectures rather than main prefectures.

Suggested improvements 

Claire Godfrey, of the Remain in France Together (RIFT) support group for Britons covered by the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) in France, said: “I think France did a pretty good job overall, although it certainly wasn't all plain sailing and there were bumps along the way.

“One of the things that made a real difference was the willingness to engage with stakeholders and work towards practical solutions when problems arose.

“It wasn't perfect, but there was recognition that implementing the WA was about protecting people's rights and not simply ticking boxes.”

She said RIFT has spent years working with the authorities to resolve problems affecting some Britons and their families, adding that the experience has shown the importance of communication and pragmatism.

“People's lives are complicated, and a little flexibility and understanding can make an enormous difference.”

She added: “It's so upsetting to read reports that UK nationals in Sweden are losing their right to live in a country they’ve made their home because of missed deadlines or other issues, particularly if they weren’t aware of the requirement.

“The WA was intended to protect people’s rights after Brexit, and I think that has to remain at the heart of how it’s implemented.”